National Geographic’s one-hour documentary exploring Australian wine and featuring actor Sam Neill will screen this month.
Commissioned exclusively by the broadcaster, Great Innovators: The Rise of Australian Wine has been two years in the making. It will premiere in Australia on National Geographic on October 18, 2018 at 8.30pm, with launches in the UK, US and other international territories to follow.
The documentary follows Neill has he travels the world to explore the last century of Australian winemaking and the industry’s place in the global market.
“This has been a blast,” said Neill. “As I’m a winemaker from New Zealand [Two Paddocks Wines] it was more than a privilege to spend time with a bunch of extraordinary winemakers and growers in Australia, and to learn about the struggle and innovation that is such a hallmark of the story of wine in Australia. The more I learnt, the more I realised there is so much more to know.”
Accompanying Neill on the journey is Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago.
Australian National Geographic managing director Tim Jones said: “National Geographic has been telling stories for over 130 years. The story of Australian wine is one of rich heritage and international recognition and appeal. This is a premium global opportunity to share the story of our wine pioneers, to showcase Australia’s deep history and passion for winemaking and also the successes of the industry around the world.”